Louisville's Russ Smith (2), Gorgui Dieng (10) and Montrezl Harrell, right, react after guard Kevin Ware suffered a lower right leg injury during the first half of the Midwest Regional final against Duke in the NCAA college basketball tournament Sunday in Indianapolis. / Michael Conroy, Associated Press

by Jim Corbett, USA TODAY Sports

by Jim Corbett, USA TODAY Sports

A shiver went through Joe Theismann as he sat inside his Loudoun County, Va. home office Sunday, watching the Duke-Louisville NCAA tournament game. The horrific right leg injury suffered by Louisville guard Kevin Ware caused the former Washington Redskins quarterback a nightmarish flashback.

"My world just came to a complete stop, it was just a horrible, horrible thing to see happen -- I hate to see anybody have an injury that is anywhere near anything like I went through,'' Theismann told USA TODAY Sports. "All of a sudden, it's, 'Oh my God!'

"It's a terrible, terrible to see. My prayers go out to him, my heart goes out to him. I know what his family is going through.

"I have every belief that he's going to be back and better than he was.''

Ware was leaping to defend a three-point shot by Duke guard Tyler Thornton midway through the first half of the NCAA Midwest Region final in Indianapolis. When Ware planted his leg, turned and suffered what looked like a broken bone in his lower right leg, Theismann was transported back to Monday night, Nov. 18, 1985. That was when Theismann, while attempting a flea flicker pass against the New York Giants, was sacked by linebackers Lawrence Taylor and Harry Carson his right leg snapped in similar horrific fashion.

The two-time Pro Bowler's 12-year NFL career ended that night.

"This was just ugly -- a little chill went through me when I see a young man go through an injury like Kevin's,'' Theismann said. "I had an open compound fracture of my lower right leg. Both bones.

"Listening to (CBS broadcaster) Jim Nantz talk, he said that was the worst injury he's ever seen in basketball. I agree. You just don't expect to see this kind of injury in basketball. Guys get twisted or get caught a little funny and fall. But not like this.''

Theismann watched in disbelief as Ware went down and teammates appeared traumatized. After the game Louisville coach Rick Pitino said that bones had broken through the skin of Ware's right leg.

"He went to the sideline and his leg just snapped,'' Theismann said. "I tweeted out my thoughts and prayers. But I plan to reach out more than that once things settle down a little bit. I'll do anything I can to help the young man.

"What you had was an outpouring of emotion and total shock. Watching it on television, the Louisville players, some of them were crying and covering their heads. Some of the fans were literally sick.''

Theismann said the good thing is that Ware "is really young. So you just pray that he comes back from it.''

He also cited the advances in medicine that have occurred since his injury. Such progress led to the remarkable recovery of 2012 NFL MVP, Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson, from a shredded anterior cruciate ligament within seven months. Peterson was able to come within nine yards of eclipsing Eric Dickerson's single-season rushing record last season, his first since the injury.

"You look at what A.D.'s done up in Minnesota and what Robert Griffin III is doing, medical science has come a long way in 30 years,'' Theismann said, also referencing the current Redskins quarterback. "The exact severity of this injury, you don't know. That will all be determined in the next couple of days here and he'll be able to go forward. I hope it's not severe enough where it will prevent him from coming back and playing.

"In this day and age, it's amazing what athletes and the medical advances doctors have made."